KIMES 2015 Promotes Domestic and International Trade

The 31st Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES; Seoul, Korea) once again highlighted the importance of the medical equipment industry in Korea and its neighboring nations.

KIMES 2015, which took place from March 5–8, 2015, at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center (COEX; Seoul, Korea), occupied 38,350 m3 of exhibition space, representing a wide range of products from 530 Korean manufacturers, 117 from the United States, 67 from Japan, 96 from Germany, 137 from China, and many other international manufacturers. In all, 1,145 companies from 34 countries participated in the show, including world leading brands such as General Electric (GE), Fuji, Shimadzu, and Hitachi.

The show also highlighted the increasingly important role played by Korean domestic companies, such as Samsung (Seoul, Korea), Listem, JW Choongwae, DK Medical, BIT Computer, Alpinion (Seoul, Korea), and others contributing to the rapid growth of the Korean medical device market, which was valued at USD 5.1 billion in 2013, making it the 13th largest medical device market globally, and the third largest in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, following Japan and China.

Once again KIMES presented to the 72,036 visitors an eclectic selection of pharmaceutical and surgical supplies; consultation, diagnostic, and clinical examination equipment; physiotherapy, ophthalmic, and dental apparatus; radiology equipment; and central supply equipment, disposables, emergency equipment and more. Due to a growing interest in medical device, KIMES 2015 organized for the first time a medical device component pavilion to highlight components manufacturing companies, as well as expanding future exhibit categories.

Concomitantly with the international medical and hospital equipment show, 139 seminars were held at the COEX Conference Center, representing diverse topics ranging from Korean government policies on medical devices market, national healthcare improvement, the newest medical device technologies, and financial technologies designed for doctors and medical professionals. KIMES 2015 also saw the launch of “KIMES Scholarships” to young students whose college major is in biomedical engineering, as a way to contribute to the health care industry through finding talented students.

The first KIMES show was held on June 21, 1980, with just 32 exhibitors from five countries. It was at first was organized by the Department of Seoul Economic Newspapers, with the first shows hosted at the Korea Society for the Advancement of Machine Industry (KOSAMI). Since then, the show has grown in tandem with the Korean medical and healthcare industry, and was chosen by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy as one of the “Global Top Exhibitions in Korea” for seven years in a row. The next event will be held on March 17–21, 2016.

Related Links:

Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show
Samsung
Alpinion